why i vote

the last time i participated in a presidential election i reluctantly voted for george bush. i say reluctantly because i wrestled with voting between two candidates i didn't particularly like. i wanted to write someone in and i wanted to just not vote. my friends rallied aka bullied me into voting.

i regret my vote. partly.

i had to vote because in some of our parents' lifetimes some of our family didn't have the right to vote. i don't take this opportunity lightly or for granted.

so it's a month away from our presidential election and i know who i am voting for. i live in omaha, nebraska, and the news has reported that our state and city could be incredibly influential to how the election plays out.

after watching the vice presidential debate i knew even more why i was voting for obama-biden. i'm not completely won over by everything they say but i have a really sour taste when i think about considering mccain palin.

i could easily go into all of the bad things that could happen with either candidate, but i don't want to do that. i'm a pessimist and that's usually my normal route. but i am hopeful.

i am hopeful because no matter who is elected president it is our responsibility to participate in our government's role in the world. i recently read an article that reminded the readers that it is actually pretty damn important for us to pay very close attention, if not closer, attention to our local politicians. our city, county and state. these are the people who could possibly affect change in our backyards. we're all rallying around what presidential candidate can beat the other when we really should educate ourselves on some of our local leaders.

but again. it is our responsibility to speak up to our government. yeah. i'm sure that i won't agree with everything our elected officials will do...but if i don't say anything about it...then really who can i point the finger at. i've written lots of letters and emails to politians and officials. i have several letters from the white house. i have a couple of hand signed letters from chuck hagel.

we can't expect the new president to fix everything that has gone wrong. we'll only be disappointed. i think that it is a great time for us to participate in the election process and stand beside the people who fought for women and minorities to have the opportunity to vote. but i think it's even better for us to stop bitching about what so and so won't or will do and for us to slowly close our mouths...and think. what can i do to help this problem today...or this person...today. so when i cast my vote on nov. 4, i will be responsible with my vote and communicate with whoever gets elected because all my bitching and moaning on this side won't do a thing.

from heather goertzen's blog:

My husband Wes is a big fan of the “log in your own eye” practice. Whenever I get riled, and I do get riled, he is faithful to always bring us back to the question (whether a personal or political, theological or social issue- and is any issue just one of the above?). What can we do differently? How can I love better? How can I be more faithful?

And so I wonder if now isn’t a good time. Before we cast our votes on election day. Before we know definitively whether our investments are worth anything anymore. In this in between time. When nothing seems certain. While our gods are looking a little vain, like maybe we were carving them out of thin air and didn’t recognize it. I think we’re being pressed toward national repentance, I do. And yet I can only see that movement rising once we’ve all first taken good looks internally. In ourselves, our families, our bank accounts, our spending, our credit card statements, the debts we haven’t forgiven others, the offenses we haven’t forgiven others, our beliefs about jubilee, the poor. The violent means we use to protect ourselves.

What can I do differently?

How can I love better?

How can I be more faithful?

And maybe once we’ve answered these for ourselves, we can extend them to the institutions we’re a part of- our marriages, our families, our neighborhoods, our businesses and ministries, our churches, our governmental associations.